Stone Steps in Sloping Yard
I’m nearing completion on a stone steps, wall and patio project in downtown Asheville. Living in the mountains, there’s generally a slope in every yard. This patio required a small drystone retaining wall to create a flat enough area for this patio. Two big slabs of Tennessee sandstone are integrated into the wall, allowing easy access for the homeowner and guests coming from the backyard.
I built another short stack of stone steps at the back of the house, allowing access from the driveway to the deck and into the house. With big chunks of stone like this, I am able to get the proper rise and run, so that these steps walk comfortably, just like the steps in your house. Prior to installing these, there was a muddy slope to the deck stairs, and a ten inch step up. More pics coming soon of the flagstone area above the steps finished.
Its comming nice
What is the approx depth of the stone step in these pictures and how did you decide on that depth for a single step? (i.e. – What is the tread depth?) I have a similar situation and am debating on the depth. The height of my step is 7.5″. Thanks!
The standard for the interior of a house is usually about 11″ of run for 7 or 7.5″ of rise. I tend to favor a larger step outdoors. The slabs I used for this project are 18″ deep and I like my stones to overlap at least three inches, so I generally set my step depth at least 12″, sometimes up to 14-15″. I hope that’s helpful.
Yes, very helpful thank you. I was thinking of doing 14″ so you helped me confirm my decision! Also, do you ever chisel any type of nosing on the step?
I do chisel the faces sometimes, though I usually leave them as they come. I like the natural face a lot.
Same here, natural/organic looking is my favorite, hence why I like your blog so much (dry-lay, etc.) It looks like you chiseled the front of this step here? (Looks very natural though, so maybe it just came that way)
http://hammerheadstoneworks.com/2012/10/29/water-feature-stone-bench/
That type of stone is snapped at the quarry and I don’t usually have to do much to make the faces look right.